Polsilver: Not quite what I remembered

[CarloMNL]

I'm new to Henson razors so for the past week or so, I've been trying out the blades I have to see which work best. The other day, I loaded a Polsilver which gives me great shaves out of an R89 and a Tech.

The blade was smooth but it didn't feel as sharp as I remember it to be. It shaved like an Astra. Not exactly bad but far from what I was expecting. The following day, I loaded the same blade in my Tech. Same experience. Today, I used a fresh Polsilver. Still no where near what I recall the blade to be capable of.

I've had these stored in an airtight plastic tub since 2015. I've used them once in a while in my Tech and never failed to get an almost BBS shave. Do blades degrade while in storage? Bad tuck? Or is this more a case of blades feeling different as one's technique evolves over the years? Pity as I still have about 80 of them. My most used blade is GSB as I bought 500 of them circa 2014 and am down to my last tuck. I could have sworn that the Polsilvers were smoother and sharper than GSB.

 

[FarmerTan]

I'm new to Henson razors so for the past week or so, I've been trying out the blades I have to see which work best. The other day, I loaded a Polsilver which gives me great shaves out of an R89 and a Tech.

The blade was smooth but it didn't feel as sharp as I remember it to be. It shaved like an Astra. Not exactly bad but far from what I was expecting. The following day, I loaded the same blade in my Tech. Same experience. Today, I used a fresh Polsilver. Still no where near what I recall the blade to be capable of.

I've had these stored in an airtight plastic tub since 2015. I've used them once in a while in my Tech and never failed to get an almost BBS shave. Do blades degrade while in storage? Bad tuck? Or is this more a case of blades feeling different as one's technique evolves over the years? Pity as I still have about 80 of them. My most used blade is GSB as I bought 500 of them circa 2014 and am down to my last tuck. I could have sworn that the Polsilvers were smoother and sharper than GSB.

Man, this is a tough call, but to my face, the Polsilver is a good/great blade. But....the GSB does beat it.

 

[Mouser]

I'm new to Henson razors so for the past week or so, I've been trying out the blades I have to see which work best. The other day, I loaded a Polsilver which gives me great shaves out of an R89 and a Tech.

The blade was smooth but it didn't feel as sharp as I remember it to be. It shaved like an Astra. Not exactly bad but far from what I was expecting. The following day, I loaded the same blade in my Tech. Same experience. Today, I used a fresh Polsilver. Still no where near what I recall the blade to be capable of.

I've had these stored in an airtight plastic tub since 2015. I've used them once in a while in my Tech and never failed to get an almost BBS shave. Do blades degrade while in storage? Bad tuck? Or is this more a case of blades feeling different as one's technique evolves over the years? Pity as I still have about 80 of them. My most used blade is GSB as I bought 500 of them circa 2014 and am down to my last tuck. I could have sworn that the Polsilvers were smoother and sharper than GSB.

First of all, stainless blades shouldn't degrade at all over such a short period of time. Especially how you've stored them. I use vintage blades exclusively,, 40, 50, 60 years old for the last five or six years and get the best shaves of my life. Even some very carefully chosen carbon ones.
Second when I was using modern Polsilver over were definitely among my rotation as were GSB and both were equally as good, but my experiences with them on a regular basis is several years old although I do occasionally bring out one of my old choices to remind myself why I switched.

 

[Captainjonny]

There is a proliferation of fake Polsilvers out there. Check out the recent thread on Fake Polsilver. If the "y" in Zyletek on the package has a curl at the bottom, those Polsilver blades are the Chinese fakes. Those fakes have terrible quality control, and you can get one that shaves "OK" (not real Polsilver "great"), and others that will be pretty bad. Check out the Fake Polsilver thread and your package label.

 

[CarloMNL]

There is a proliferation of fake Polsilvers out there. Check out the recent thread on Fake Polsilver. If the "y" in Zyletek on the package has a curl at the bottom, those Polsilver blades are the Chinese fakes. Those fakes have terrible quality control, and you can get one that shaves "OK" (not real Polsilver "great"), and others that will be pretty bad. Check out the Fake Polsilver thread and your package label.

I'm familiar with the thread and did check my blades. They don't look like the fakes, thankfully so.

 

[BigJ]

This AM I got a great shave with a Polsilver SI on day 2! For me, these are great!!

I also like Astra SP, GSB, Nacets, Personna reds and Personna labs. But what do I know?? YMMV for sure!

 

[CarloMNL]

This morning, loaded a fresh blade from the same tuck. Much better. I think the first two were probably duds, or close.

 

[APBinNCA]

That's good to hear! I know everybody collectively rolled their eyes when I announced that I had three bad Wizis in a tuck and the forth that I did use, I shouldn't have. I am just glad that the Polsilvers that I do have are good for the price I had to pay.

 

[CarloMNL]

That's good to hear! I know everybody collectively rolled their eyes when I announced that I had three bad Wizis in a tuck and the forth that I did use, I shouldn't have. I am just glad that the Polsilvers that I do have are good for the price I had to pay.

Honestly, this is the first time I've encountered multiple "duds" in one tuck. In over 500 GSBs, I probably got two or three duds and they were years apart in terms of occurrence. In a hundred Feathers, I remember one time that the blade felt unusually harsh, more than what is usual on the first shave with a Feather. Everything else was as expected.

Stuff happens, I guess.

 

[APBinNCA]

Honestly, this is the first time I've encountered multiple "duds" in one tuck. In over 500 GSBs, I probably got two or three duds and they were years apart in terms of occurrence. In a hundred Feathers, I remember one time that the blade felt unusually harsh, more than what is usual on the first shave with a Feather. Everything else was as expected.

Stuff happens, I guess.

Same here. Mine were all in a row and I could tell the metal was not feeding correctly and they just sent it. I am starting to think there is a tier system for QC at PPI, Astra-Other-Gillette. People keep saying there are only a few different blades put in many different packages, but I don't know about that one...

 

[gdawg55]

I love me some Polsilver SI blades. Been using them for years and can't recall any duds. I'm sure I'll eventually run across one, but so far so good.

 

[nav]

I love me some Polsilver SI blades. Been using them for years and can't recall any duds. I'm sure I'll eventually run across one, but so far so good.

Same here.

Polsilver and Wizamet were my only blades from 2013 up until six months ago, when I discovered the superb BIC chrome platinum blade.

In all those years, I can't remember ever experiencing a dud Pol/Wiza.

 

[guitarslinger]

Our faces change. I hoarded red Israeli personnas only to later decide they don’t work for me anymore.